Helle Moyna on her inspiration, her work life and design tips

I moved to London from Denmark when I was 20. I worked at an exclusive private dining club as their events manager, which included doing events for Cartier, Louis Vuitton, the royals, and the government.

Sat, 08 Sep, 2018 - 01:00

Helle Moyna: Founder of Nordic Elements

What’s your background?

I then worked in banking, in events and corporate marketing. My second boy was born in 2008— the market had just crashed, and I put my name forward for redundancy and I got it. My life had changed, and I wanted to get out of the rat race.

I started out with a website and focused on small Danish designers. This grew to my representing 12 brands to retailers in the UK. I went on to get a studio in Battersea with a showroom.

We had always talked about coming to live in Ireland. In 2013, my husband’s brother suddenly passed away and it was a wake-up call for us to do it.

I gave notice on my studio but was travelling back and forth for the first year to finish everything off.

I kept the website and started doing furniture sourcing here. We bought the house and it needed a lot of work which I managed.

The house featured in Gloss Interiors a few years ago and that set off the interiors side of things for me. I got a few clients through that and haven’t stopped since.

What’s a typical work day like for you?

Depending on the size of the projects, I might work on two or three at a time, so I am in and out of the studio a lot.

I might also have to follow up on orders and paperwork. I would run the full budget for a project which means I do everything.

Tell us about a recent design/project that you have worked on?

I have just finished a project in Monkstown — the couple had a new build, they had been in it a year, but it didn’t feel like a home to them.

We painted the whole house, got a few bits of new furniture, a few different lights and moved their artwork around.

They said that the change was just amazing. I loved the experience. I like to create homes rather than showcases.

What’s your design style?

Mid-century modern – I work with classic pieces but also like to bring in new designers.

What/Who inspires your work?

I can get my inspiration from anywhere. For example, I did an apartment last year, and we didn’t want to change the floor — it was a honey-toned marble floor — but that then dictated the tone of the colours we would use.

I had this idea of dark green, British Racing Green, in the hall. I was browsing through a magazine and saw a wallpaper in that colour.

I ordered a sample and it looked amazing in the apartment. That piece of wallpaper set me off on the design and everything else fell into place.

What’s your favourite trend at the moment (if you have any)?

I don’t work with trends, but if you do want to, accessories are a really easy way of doing that.

What’s your most treasured possession?

I have a necklace that has a little circle diamond ring. My husband gave it to me before our wedding.

My eldest, Tobias, was born three months early and spent two months in neonatal.

I used to sit with him, and he’d put his little fingers through this ring. My second son, Marcus, would do the same, so when I wear it, it makes me think of how precious life is.

Who would be your favourite designer, or style inspiration?

There’s a fabulous place in Copenhagen called Klassik, it’s a mid-century dealer. The showroom is just incredible.

What would be a dream project/design for you to work on?

I feel very lucky that I have been able to do the projects that I have. For me, I’m not out to make a big name for myself, but when I do something I want to do it well.